Coin-collector



H. H. BAUMGARTNER.

COIN COLLECTOR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 27. I918.

1,341,534. I I I Patented May 25, 1920 v 2 SHEETS-SHEET law%wm I 3% W n. n. BAUMGARTNER.

COIN COLLECTOR.

J APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1918. 1,341,534.. a en ed May 25, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- a a if it i COIN-COLLECTOR.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1921).,

Application filed April 27, 1918. fierial No. 231,174.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. BAUM- GARTNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Coin-Collectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to coin collecting apparatus of the type referred to in U. S. Letters-Patent #1227303, granted to H. A. Drew and G. M. Mazza, May 22, 1917 and is especially directed to improvements in circuit closers therefor.

The mentioned patent provides coin control apparatus located a distance from and under control of a central operator who is automatically advised of the denomination of the coin or coins and the precise location of the apparatus in which the coin is placed. The coin is first arranged in a pivoted receiver, which is turned by the depositor to bring the coin to a point where the same will drop into a suitable receptacle provided therefor. This movement of the receiver brings the coin below and in engagement with a contact finger swinging the same into contact with the co-acting contact finger. Both of these contacts are in electric circuit with suitable signal and control apparatus at the central station. The coin is held in the receiver until the latter is swung over the outlet for the coin receptacle, the circuit being closed before the coin reaches this point, and as a consequence the same coin may be used any number of times by unscrupulous persons.

With my improvement 1 provide asimple construction of circuit closers for this class of machines by which the coin must be moved a determined distance before the same is permitted to close the circuit, and when in such position is held against movement in any direction except in the direction of the opening communicating with the coin receptacle.

I accomplish the foregoing object, and

' others which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, by a simple construction, combination and operative arrangement of parts, a satisfactory exemplification of which being illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a detail transverse sectional view through the upper portion of a coin collecting apparatus provided with my im proved circuit closer, a coin being illustrated in the receiver before the same is swung to close the circuit.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the receiver swung to' bring the coin to circuit closing position.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the circuit closer.

Fig. 4; is a bottom plan view thereof.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View approximately on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

6 is a transverse sectional view approximately on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 8 is an approximately central longi tudinal sectional view through the same.

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of a still further modification.

Fig. 10 is an approximately central longitudinal sectional view through the same.

In the drawings the upper portion of a coin collecting instrument is indicated by the numeral 15, the same being in the nature of a substantially rectangular casing. Received in a slot in the upper portion of the casing is a vertically disposed plate 16 having one of its faces provided with depressions 17 which communicate with vertically disposed openings 18. Below the plate 16, and having its upper corners provided with trunnions which are journaled in suitable openings in the casing 15, is a vertically disposed coin receiver 19, the same having a central slot 20 normally alining with the opening 18 in the plate 16, the said receiver being held in this position preferably through the medium of a spring 21. The receiver 19 is provided with transverse openings 22. At the lower end of the receiver 19 are provided reduced fingers 23 formed integral with the horizontally disposed plate 24:. Each of the slots 28, at the outer end thereof is widened, as at 25. Each of the plates, inward of the said widened portion 25 of the slot 24 is concaved as at 26. On one of the trunnions 27 of the coin receiver 19 is secured an operating knob 28, the said knob as well as the trunnion 27 being indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Below the widened portion 25 of the slot in the plate 23 is a coin receptacle 29. The above referred to parts are common to Patent #1327308, but as my improvement is used in connection with this device, a short description. of such parts is deemed necessary to a full understanding of my improvement.

Secured upon a transverse cleat 30, outward of the plate 24, and above the said plate, is a circuit closer constructed in accordance with this invention. The circuit closer comprises a contact finger 31 above and in parallel relation with a spring contact finger 32 insulated from the contact finger by a sheet 33. The second contact finger is indicated by the numeral 34 and is arranged directly above the finger 31. The finger 34 is spaced from the finger 31 by a plate of insulating material 35, and disposed over the finger 34 and spaced therefrom by an insulating strip 36 is a spring finger 37. Securing elements 38 pass through the ends of the spring and contact fingers and through the insulating plate 35 securing the circuit closer on the strip 30. The wires are in circuit with an electroresponsive device located at a central station, and are not illustrated. These wires are secured to the binding posts 39 and 40 which are formed with and extend laterally from the contact fingers Secured to the plate 36, at the lower end thereof is a head or stud 41 that passes through suitable openings in the contact plates 34 and 31, as well as through the insulating sheets and said fingers and the spring fingers associated therewith. The spring finger 37, at the outer end thereof has its sides widened, and its said widened portions are bent downwardly at a right angle providing flanges 42. The under faces of these flanges are gradually rounded from the outer ends of the members 36 to the inner ends thereof providing cam surfaces and also providing said cam surfaces with inner straight shoulders 43.

As disclosed in Fig. 1 of the drawings the coins, after being inserted in the depression 17 of the plate 16 drop through the opening 18 in the said plate into the slot 20 of the coin receiver 19, the lowermost coin resting on the horizontal plate 24. Theknob 28 is turned to swing the receiver 19, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This causes the coin to ride over the concave surfaces 26 of the plate 24 also causing the said coin to ride beneath the round edges 42 of the cam head. After the coin rides under these surfaces the same will be brought into contact with the finger 32 and the pressure of the said coin against the said finger will cause the same to swing the contact member 31 into contacting engagement with. the contact member 34, thus closing the circuit. The coin is now arranged opposite and in contacting relation with the shoulders 43 of the cam head and consequently cannot be moved in a backward direction, nor can the coin receiver 19 be swung to such position until after the same has been moved. a sufficient distance to permit of the coin gravitating through the slot 20 and the widened portion 25 of the opening 23, and it will be thus noted that one coin cannot be employed for actuating the device more than a single time. It will be noted that the coin is not in electric circuit with the circuit closer, the same engaging with the finger 32 which is insulated from the contact member 31 and with the cam head which is insulated from the contact finger 34.

In Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings the contact closer is substantially similar to that previously described, except that in lieu of the binding posts 39 and 40 the respective contact plates are provided with laterally extending contact fingers 44 and 45.

In Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings the upper contact finger 46 is provided with a cam head 47 that terminates in a straight shoulder 47 and is insulated by a fibrous strip 48 from the lower spring contact finger 49, the latter being secured to an insulated strip 50. One of the spring contacts is provided with a binding post 51 and the other with a contact finger 52.

It is thought, from the foregoing description that the simplicity of the construction and the advantages thereof will be apparent.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a money collecting apparatus, the combination with a receiver having a slot to receive a coin and movable in a direction to discharge the coin, and a contact closer in circuit with an electro-responsive device adapted to be engaged and operated by the coin; of means on said contact closer for locking the coin thereto prior, to the closing of the circuit by the coin and the release of the coin from the receiver.

2. In a money collecting apparatus, the combination with a receiver having a slot to receive a coin and movable in a direction to discharge the coin, and a contact closer in circuit with an electro-responsive device adapted to engage with and be operated by the coin; of coin engaging means on said contact closer, including a shoulder designed to engage with the coin when the receiver is moved to coin discharging position, to lock the coin and receiver against movement in other than a discharge direction and for permitting the coin to close the circuit just prior to the discharge thereof.

3. In, a money collecting apparatus, the combination with a receiver having a slot to receive a coin and movable in a direction to discharge the coin, and a contact closer in circuit with an electroresponsive device adapted to be engaged and operated by the coin, said contact closer comprising spaced spring fingers one of which having at its outer end a camhead receiving the outer contact finger when the receiver has been moved to coin discharging position and just prior to the discharge of the coin from the 10 receiver.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

HENRY HOWELL BAUMGARTNER. 

